Reed cases



July 23, 1968 A. ERESMAN 3,393,793

REED CASES 3 Filed April 20, 1967 INVENTOR 12 30 17 73 25 ARTHUR ERESMAN 8) 193 A MM wwmw 25a 208 17 3 308 13a ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,393,793 REED CASES Arthur Eresman, 1201 Larriwood Road, Kettering, Ohio 45429 Filed Apr. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 632,327 7 Claims. (Cl. 20613) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Cases or holders are described for retaining and protecting woodwind reeds when they are not in use, in which a flat base plate is divided into longitudinal recesses which are open at each end for ease of cleaning and for promoting drying of the reeds, and a partial cover plate encloses the recesses to protect the vulnerable portions of the reeds while fingers engage the reed bodies at their thick sections and hold them fiat against the base plate for restoring their shape during drying and providing ease of insertion and withdrawal through either end of the recesses.

Background of the invention This invention relates to musicians reed holders and cases, and more particularly to improved cases for storing and retaining woodwind reeds when they are not in use.

Reed cases have been known for storing woodwind reeds. However, these cases have generally been characterized by one or more deficiencies which decrease their utility. Commonly, reed cases have been made of paper, but do not adequate protect the reeds nor promote proper drying. Reed cases which provide adequate mechanical protection against damage have been complicated and expensive to make, have been formed with dead ends or pockets for collecting lint or dirt and were difficult to clean and keep clean, and generally failed to promote adequate ventilation and drying. Additionally, many such reed cases incorporated springs, clips, and the like which engaged the reed at the thin or tapered section, frequently causing damage to the reed when not carefully used, and inducing warping of the vibrating portion of the reed.

Summary of the invention The reed cases of this invention eliminate many of the problems which characterize prior reed cases. It is important for a musician to be able to carry a supply of reeds in a protective case which maintains the reeds in a fiat condition, and which permits the reeds to dry quickly and adequately after use. It has been found that when a reed is used every day, it will wear out and become useless in about two to three weeks of use. However, if a number of such reeds are rotated so that each is allowed to rest, it has been found that a substantial improvement in the actual life of each reed may be obtained and this may be in the order of four or five times additional life as compared to a reed used continuously. In other words, if a musician uses six reeds, for example, in rotation, and stores the remaining five reeds in a reed case made according to this invention, it has been found that the individual reeds will last several times longer than if they were in constant use.

The importance of properly drying, protecting and conserving reeds may be further appreciated when it is considered that a musician will commonly buy reeds in bulk, and through a process of careful selection will select about one-fourth of these reeds as being suitable. Frequently, he may treat these reeds, such as by touching them up with a file, to obtain the desired results. Further, a musician frequently wishes to have available several different reeds of differing strengths or stiffness from which he may adequately protects the reeds when they are not in use, and

which promotes rapid drying of the reeds after use. This is accomplished in this invention by a reed case which is divided into a plurality of longitudinally extending recesses open at each end, to permit insertion and removal of the reeds in either direction through the recesses, and to facilitate the circulation of air for drying. Thus, the reed cases made according to this invention are free of dead ends and stagnant pockets which collect dirt and which make cleaning of the case difficult.

A further object of this invention is to provide a reed case, as outlined above, in which the stored reeds are gently held against a flat surface, to help restore the flat surface of the reed. Preferably, this is accomplished by the provision of resilient clips which engage the reed only at the thick body sections rather than at the thin tapered ends, leaving the tapered reed surfaces untouched by the case. In this manner, the retaining springs or clips exert pressure only on the hard external shell of the reed and not on the soft tapered surface, to prevent warping and distortion of this delicate portion of the reed.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a reed case in which at least a portion, and preferably all, of the case is formed of a clear plastic resin, such as acrylic, to facilitate identification of the stored reeds and the reading of the markings on the Hat surfaces of the reeds through the transparent base plate without the necessity of first removing the reeds from the case.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a reed case in which the reeds may be deposited and withdrawn without undue care or risk of damage of the reeds.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a reed case in which a plurality of reed-receiving recesses are provided which are open at each end so that the case may be easily flushed out by merely holding it under a faucet. Also, the open ends of the case assure that the reed cannot be damaged if it is inserted too far into the case.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a reed case constructed according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the case of FIG. 1 showing reeds in some of the recesses and further showing the manner in which reeds may be inserted or withdrawn;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the case of FIG. 2 looking generally along the line 33 of FIG. 2, with one of the reeds removed;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section through one of the reeds in a reed-receiving recess taken generally along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view looking at the back side of the reed case of FIGS. 1 and 2, showing a reed in a recess and the manner in which the identifying information on the reed can be observed through the transparent base plate;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified reed case constructed according to this invention;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the case of FIG. 7 taken generally along the lines 88 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the modified case showing two of the reeds in position.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of this invention, a reed case constructed according to this invention is shown at in FIG. 1 as having a base plate 12 which forms an essentially fiat reedsupporting surface 13 on an upper side thereof. The base plate 10 is preferably formed of a clear acrylic sheet plastic material, although opaque plastics and metals may also be used. It is generally rectangular in shape and has a length in one direction which is somewhat greater than the corresponding longitudinal length of a woodwind reed 15 to be stored and retained by this invention. The Width of the plate 10 may be any suitable dimension to accommodate one or more of the reeds 15, and is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as being sufiicient to provide support for six of the reeds 15.

The base plate 10 is divided transversely of its widt into a plurality of reed-receiving regions by a plurality of longitudinally extending divider strips 17. The strips 17 may be formed of the same material as the base plate 12 and are suitably plastic welded, bonded or otherwise formed in place longitudinally extending relation on the upper surface 13, and extend substantially the full longitudinal length of the base 12. In addition, the base is formed with a pair of end strips 18 and 19 which extend along the opposite left and right edges of the base 12 and correspond generally in length and function to the individual divider strips 17.

The strips 17 cooperate with each other and with the end strips 18 and 19 to form a plurality of longitudinally extending, reed-receiving recesses 20 on the base plate 12.

The spacing of the intermediate strips 17 on the plate 12 is such as to define recesses 20 of a width suitable for receiving woodwind reeds, such as saxophone or clarinet reeds, and are each formed with tapered front edges 23 to facilitate the insertion and withdrawal of the reeds 15 within these recesses. As shown in this embodiment, there are provided five of the divider strips 17 defining therebetween and with the end strips 18 and 19 six of the recesses 20, although more or less strips may obviously be used within the scope of this invention.

The recesses 20 are partially enclosed by a cover plate 25 which is positioned in overlying relation to the surface 13 of the base plate 12. The cover plate 25 may conveniently be formed of the same material as that of the base plate 12, and thus formed with a width which corresponds to the width of the base plate and with a longitudinal depth in the direction of the recesses 20 which is preferably less than that of the base plate 12. It is secured in spaced relation to the plate 12 by fastening, such as screws, rivets or the like, or by cementing or securely bonding or welding to the upper surfaces of the divider strips 17 and the end strips 18 and 19, and defines opening spaces 26 at the forward ends of the recesses 20, to permit access for gripping and sliding the individual reeds into and out of storage within the recesses.

The cover 25 is accordingly positioned in closing relation to the reed-receiving recesses 20 at a position which generally overlies and forms a protective enclosure for the tapered tips or working ends 28 of the reeds 15 when they are positioned within their respective recesses. Accordingly, at least in this section of the reed case 10, the reeds are fully enclosed on each of the four sides of the recess, while the recesses are open and unrestricted at each longitudinal end, including the access open space 26, previously defined, and the opposite open end 29 between the cover plate 25 and the base plate 12, as shown in FIG. 4.

The cover 25 is further formed with a plurality of reedengaging, spring-like fingers 30, which may be integrally formed with the cover plate 25, or which may be otherwise separately formed and conveniently attached by bonding to this plate. The fingers 30 are tapered in width so that they occupy a space somewhat less than the transverse width of the individual recesses 20, and are deflected or bent downwardly toward the surface 13 of the base 12, and extend from the cover 25 longitudinally forwardly and partially into the access spaces 26. The ends 32 of the fingers 30 are smoothly curved or tapered, as shown at 33 in FIG. 4, to engage the thick shell or body portion 35 of the reed 15.

Each of the fingers 30 gently urge the reed 15 into engagement with the flat supporting surface 13 of the base plate 12 and retain the reed in stored'position where it may dry properly and reform the flatness of the reed. Since the width of the fingers 30 is less than the width of the recesses 20, and the Width of each recess is proportioned somewhat greater than the width of the reed, as shown in FIG. 5, open air passageways are provided for the convection and flow of drying air throughout the longitudinal length of the-recesses 20 even when the reeds 15 are in position, to facilitate curing and drying. The tapered end 32 of the fingers 30 are proportioned always to engage the thickened or uncut body portion 35 of the reeds 15, as distinguished from the tapered or cut portion 36, even though the individual reed may be positioned at one or the other extreme side position within the recess, as shown in FIG. 5.

The reeds 15 commonly are formed with identification marks 38 on the bottoms of the fiat surfaces of the shell or body portions 35. These identification marks are readily observed through the transparent base plate 12 without the necessity for removing the reeds, to facilitate rapid selection of a desired reed, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIGS, 7-9 illustrate a modified form of the reed case in which reed-receiving recesses are formed on each side of the base 12, and in which like reference numerals are used to designate like parts. This embodiment thus oomprises a construction in which pairs of reed receiving recesses 20 and 20a are formed in back-to-back relation on either side of the base plate 12, providing a capability of storing twice as many reeds with safety while promoting their drying. The upper portion of the reed case of this embodiment is configured substantially identically with thatwhich has been described with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6. A similar set of dividers 17a, end strips 18a and 19a, and a cover plate 25a with reed-retaining fingers 30a are positioned on the reverse side of the plate. However, the plate 25a is positioned longitudinally opposite and reversed with respect to its corresponding plate on the other side, so that the reeds which are inserted within opposite recesses are inserted from the opposite direction, primarily as a matter of convenience, and to provide symmetry to the case. However, the parts of the case on the reverse side of thisembodiment may be positioned with respect to the common base plate 12 so that the reeds are inserted in the same direction as those-on the other side.

It will thus be seen that the reed cases which have been described above may be conveniently cleaned merely by holding under a faucet with the reeds removed,'and' the recesses 20 being open at either end permits substantially unrestricted flow of flushing water through the case. While the members or portions of the case including the base plate 12, the dividers 17 and the cover 25 including the fingers 30, have been described as separate elements or portions of the invention, it is obvious that one or more of the parts could be made of molded material or metal rather than the clear acrylic plastic sheet material.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that charges may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

:1; A'reed case for containing and protecting a'plurality of woodwind reeds, comprising a base plate forming an essentially fiat reed-supporting surface on at least'o'ne side thereof andbeing formed with a longitudinall'ength in at least one direction which is greater than that of a reed to be contained therein, means forming a plurality of generally parallel divider strips on said base plate surface extending longitudinally thereof and dividing said base plate into a plurality of reed-receiving portions, 21 cover plate positioned in overlying relation to said base plate surface on said divider strips forming a top closure for said portions defining with said strips corresponding reedreceiving recesses, said base between said strips being free of obstructions and defining with said cover at least one unrestricted reed insertion opening for each of said recesses permitting insertion and withdrawal of a reed therein without bending, means in said cover defining openings adjacent one end of said recesses providing access for gripping and sliding reeds into and out of said recesses, and reed-engaging resilient means supported on said cover and extending partially into said recesses proportioned to engage a reed positioned in the associated said recess at the uncut body portion of such reed frictionally retaining the reed in the recess and urging the reed against said reed supporting surface While leaving the thin, tapered end of such reed free of pressure contact thereon.

2, The case of claim 1 in which said recesses are open at each longitudinal end thereof permitting the insertion and withdrawal of reeds through either end thereof and the circulation of air therethrough.

3. The case of claim 1 in which said base is formed of transparent plastic sheet material permitting viewing of reed identification through said base plate.

4. The reed case of claim 1 in which said resilient means comprise fingers extending longitudinally from said cover plate into said recesses at said access openings and are deflected inwardly toward said base plate surface to engage such reeds in said recesses on such thickened body portion thereof.

5. The case of claim 4 in which said cover is formed of the same material as said base and in which said fingers are formed integrally with said cover.

6. The reed case of claim 1 in which said base plate has an essentially flat back surface, and further comprising a further said plurality of divider strips, and a further cover plate thereon defining a further set of longitudinal reed-receiving recesses with respect to said back surface corresponding in number and transverse position to the corresponding parts on the other side of said base plate, and further reed-engaging resilient means supported on said further cover plate, said further divider strips, cover plate, and resilient means being configured with respect to said back surface essentially in the same manner and for the same purpose as are the corresponding parts with respect to the front surface.

7. A reed case for containing and supporting a plurality of woodwind reeds comprising a base plate forming an essentially flat reed supporting surface on at least one side thereof and having a longitudinal dimension in at least one direction Which is greater than the length of a reed to be supported thereon, a cover plate having a longitudinal length substantially less than that of said base plate and having a width corresponding generally to that of said base plate, means mounting said cover plate in spaced relation to said base plate surface, a plurality of dividers extending longitudinally between said cover and base plates dividing the space therebetween into a plurality of longitudinal reed-receiving recesses with the spacing between said dividers being such as to receive a single such reed in each of said recesses while leaving thereabout an open space providing for air flow through said recesses with such reeds in place therein, each said recesses being open at either end thereof permitting reeds to be inserted straight into said recesses and withdrawn from either longitudinal end thereof without bending, and reed-engaging spring-like fingers on said cover and deflected slightly inwardly in said recesses toward said base plate surface and each being proportioned to engage the uncut body portion of a reed when the same is inserted into the associated said recess for retaining such reed therein and urging it against said base plate surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,604,978 7/1952 Maier 206l6 2,633,980 4/1953 Iorgenson 20616 2,937,740 5/1960 Bruckmann 20613 WILLIAM T, DIXSON, 111., Primary Examiner. 

